Pretty in Pink

The Magnolia tree in my backyard really puts on a show each year. Whether taking in the view from the back porch where I can see the entire canopy lit up in pink and white or walking beneath the branches for a closer look, the experience is always a treat for the eyes. Here, the evening sun is receding over the house, while I stand barefoot in the cool grass.

The Red, White and Blue

The Stars and Bars flutter in the wind against a backdrop of white siding and a cloud washed sky. Cool air diffuses the Sun’s warmth upon my face.

Shades of Gray

Time for a bit of Black and White. It would not be until January of 1995 that I would take my first such photograph, but nearly 20 years earlier I would participate in my first photo shoot as the subject for a project in which my colorless image would be preserved and utilized. Whether that experience or my fondness for The Monkees song this entry shares a title with foreshadowed my exploration into the realm of monochrome, I can only speculate. It is only fitting to use an image so deeply rooted in my own history with regard to the lyrics and spirit of a song that speak to me even more now than they did when I first heard them some twenty-four years ago.

The Crackle Pop of Rocks

Bar Island. The sun bakes while the breeze blow-dries the moisture left behind by the receding waters. There is no sure footing atop stones of all sizes mostly rounded and polished from years of natural tumbling by the tides coming in and going out. With each step they shift beneath my feet; I have no way of knowing just how deep the giant pebbles are piled. The clanking reminds me of a favorite film: Men With Brooms. More specifically, the sport of Curling and the sounds forty-two pound granite stones make when they connect with or ricochet off one another after gliding across a nearly hundred and fifty foot sheet of ice.

Eye in the Sky

Vigilant. Himself overlooked. Standing among the clouds, he sees all that befalls the land around him. A reminder. Meant to honor those who gave their lives. Better than a century on the clock he remains unwavering, but visitors are uninterested in learning…listening…reading…understanding. Still, he carries on -- never straying from the mission. Should just one person take notice…find enlightenment…walk away steeped in contemplation of future consequences, then he might just find peace.

Visual Mismatch

A puzzle…brain teaser…architectural hodgepodge. Take aim straight and center and it appears the buildings are sliding into one another. Unnatural overlaps confuse and mislead.

Backyard Finds: Argiope Aurantia

Timing and a little luck. Often this is what provides me opportunities to be inspired by nature and my surroundings. This black and yellow Argiope spider is no exception. I found this in the Forsythia bush behind my carport. I ran inside and retrieved my camera immediately. One need not always venture beyond one’s own home for rewarding images. Wildlife in the yard, objects lying around the house, friends and family, and let’s not forget pets all have something to offer.